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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 1999

Southern Illinois Child Development Center Receives Midwest Award

DUQUOIN -- Governor George H. Ryan today praised the Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council Head Start Program and the ABC Child Development Center for an award the partnership received from The Head Start Quality Network and Ohio State University.

The partnership between the Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council Head Start Program and the ABC Child Development Center is one of the "spotlight" programs in the Midwest and will serve as an example for the formation of other child care partnerships. The ABC Center, based in DuQuoin, serves about 20 children aged three-to-five.

"Partnerships like these are crucial to the development of high-quality services that help families make ends meet and help children grow and learn," Ryan said. "The two organizations we are honoring today have given us a very good example of how to start our children out on the right path."

The Head Start Quality Network is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and administered in the Midwest by Ohio State University. The network focuses on the organizational development and improvement of the 125 Head Start and 52 Early Head Start programs in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio that receive federal grants.

The Network encourages partnerships between Head Start programs and child care services to promote the availability of full-day services for children.